ADHD Tests For Adults and Adolescents
There isn't a single test that can tell if someone has ADHD. To determine if someone has ADHD medical professionals must look at the way that symptoms affect everyday functioning, and also rule out other physical and mental conditions that can cause similar issues.
Specialists will also inquire about your symptoms prior to age 12. Under current diagnostic guidelines to be eligible for a diagnosis you must have been struggling with them since your childhood.
Conners Adults ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS)
In an environment of clinical practice the rating scales are typically designed to distinguish adult patients suffering from ADHD from those without symptoms. However, it can be difficult to achieve satisfactory differentiation rates, especially when patients with various diagnoses have overlapping symptoms within the emotion regulation or impulse control domains. For instance anxiety disorders often co-occur with symptoms of impulsiveness or disinhibition. In these situations the use of rating scales could result in an overdiagnosis or overtreatment.
In order to address this problem, in 1999 the initial CAARS was updated to include an observer's version which allows for more precise assessment of severity of symptom. Numerous studies have looked into the psychometric properties of this revised version of the CAARS. In particular, the convergent and concurrent validity of the measure has been found to be satisfactory (Smyth & Meier Citation 2019). However, some critiques have been raised regarding the measure's sensitivity to non-credible reporting, a challenge that is commonplace in ADHD rating scales.
The CAARS-S:O was utilized in a variety of diagnostic situations and clinical samples. The psychometric properties of both the short self-report and observer versions have been examined, including configural and metric invariance. These findings have provided the instrument a high level of confidence in its ability to recognize ADHD symptoms in adults.
In a recent research study, the authors of the CAARS:O analyzed the structure of the instrument using an exploratory and a confirmation factor analysis in a nonclinical adult sample. The results revealed that the four-factor model fitted the data and was consistent to previous research (Conners Erhardt Epstein et. al. Citation 1999). The scalar-invariance of this model was also confirmed. In addition, scalar and configural invariance were also established by sex, allowing the comparison of scores between females and males to be attributed to real differences in underlying dimensional constructs.
Recently the authors of CAARS-S:O extended their findings to an adult nonclinical Japanese population. 786) participants completed the CAARS-S:S and the CAARS-Observer form. The same four-factor model was found be valid in the North American population with satisfactory metric invariance and configural invariance. This extends the current validation of the CAARS-S:O to an additional population and confirms its value in the identification of ADHD symptoms in emerging adults.
Barkley Adults ADHD Rating Scales IV (BAARS-IV)
The BAARS-IV assesses current ADHD symptoms and areas of impairment as well as memories of childhood symptoms. It is designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of an individual's functioning in their school, social, and work domains. It is easy to administer and takes only 5-7 minutes. The BAARS-IV contains self-reporting questions as well as other report items (e.g. spouse, partner or parent). online testing for adhd increases the accuracy of the assessment.
The BAARS-IV evaluates symptoms against norms based on age and determines if they are "Clinically Significant," which means that the patient's symptoms could be more severe than those of others of their age. This person may need more assessment. A score of "Not Clinically Significant" means that the symptoms do not interfere with functioning, and is more reflective of the typical range of people of the same age.
One hundred and twenty-four adults between 18-67 years took part in this study. They were physician- or self-referred to a medical center's outpatient clinic to evaluate ADHD. Every participant completed the BAARS IV SCT subscales as well as ADHD severity measures (self-report and other versions). Collateral reporters were spouses/partners or parents, friends or siblings. A total of 51 reports were collected.
Results confirm the validity of a three-factor model of SCT and demonstrate that the test can be reliably used to discern clinically significant distinctions between people who have an ADHD diagnosis. Furthermore, SCT symptom severity is specific to an endorsement of impairment in school, home and community activity by collateral reporters, even when they are controlled for ADHD symptom severity.
These findings are part of a growing body of research that demonstrates SCT as a crucial and distinct concept that must be considered in the event that adults present for evaluation of psychiatric disorder. SCT symptoms can also be reliably and validatedly assessed by using the BAARS IV in the clinical setting and are associated with functional impairment. Further research is needed to study the effects of SCT on functioning in other domains of life like stress in the parenting and offspring psychopathology. SCT is an important variable for understanding and addressing the effects of ADHD as adults.
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function Adult Version (BRIEF-A)
The BRIEF-A assesses adult executive function. It has 63 items that are part of nine theoretically and empirically derived and well-tested clinical scales that assess the most commonly agreed upon executive functioning domains Inhibit, Self-Monitor Emotional Control, Shift Initiate, Working memory and Plan/Organize. It is available as a self-report and an informant version, with a parent/teacher sheet that is included. The test takes around 10-15 minutes to administer, and 15-20 minutes to be scored. On the reverse of the scoring summary sheet, you can calculate T-scores and percentiles. The BRIEF is a tool for adolescents and adults, ages 18-90. It is especially useful for individuals who have academic, behavioral or cognitive problems which are difficult to identify using other measures such as autism or pervasive development disorders.
The instrument is designed to be used by psychologists, neuropsychologists, physicians and rehabilitation professionals in both clinical and research settings. The instrument was developed using a sample of men, women and children aged between 18 and 90 that were matched to the 2002 US Census. The normative sample was representative of the United States population in terms of race/ethnicity and educational background, and geographic location. The scales in the Behavioral Regulation and Metacognition Indexes were standardized for self-report as well as informant reporting with three validity scales (Negativity, Inconsistency and Infrequency) included to assess the reliability of the measurement.
The BRIEF-A doesn't just provide an individual scale that is standardized but also includes the profile and base rates for the elevation of scales for various mental disorders, including ADHD, PTSD and depression as in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, traumatic brain injury and schizophrenia. It also provides reliable change indices to compare the severity of symptoms over time, for example, after the administration of a medication.
The authors of BRIEF-A have published a number of papers on its application to a variety of psychiatric disorders, including those that affect executive function. The instrument has also been used to assess the effects of brain injuries traumatic to the as well as dementia, Tourette's Disorder and Parkinson's Disease. These studies showed that the BRIEF-A was a reliable and sensitive measure of daily executive functions in these populations. This is particularly relevant for the Inhibit and Emotional Control subscales.
Understood Assistant
Many adults with ADHD are resistant to diagnosis and treatment due to the stigma associated with this condition. Whether you keep losing your keys, can't complete tasks at work or in relationships that suffer because of inattention and impulsivity, obtaining an assessment is the first step to gaining control of your symptoms. Thankfully, there's no need for blood tests or brain scans for a diagnosis of adult ADHD is a one-on-1 interview with a trained professional and the use of rating scales that consider the way your symptoms impact your daily life.
To get a fair assessment, your evaluator will be looking for details about your history--how you got through school, what your relationships with your family and friends, what's going on at work, home, or in school, and more. You should also be prepared to discuss your medical history and provide details like birth weight, milestones in your life like when you started to walk or talk, any hospitalizations you've had, and any health issues that are ongoing.
The SNAP IV rating scale has nine questions regarding the impulsivity and hyperactivity of people and nine questions about inattention. You'll then assess how often you experience these symptoms. The SNAP IV is a good method to determine whether you have inattention ADHD or a combination of ADHD. It can also be used to detect co-existing conditions like anxiety or depression.
You may be required to provide information on other people, particularly family members, since ADHD can run in families. A family history of ADHD can also indicate if you have the inattentive or impulsive-hyperactivity subtypes of ADHD.
Different types of neuropsychological and cognitive testing are also part of your assessment. These aren't diagnostic tests however, they can provide valuable information about the ways ADHD affects your thinking, memory, and learning capabilities.
The Trail-Making Test is a cognitive test that tests how quickly you can follow a number or letter sequence and how well you're adept at switching between tasks. This test is appropriate for children and adults regardless of age or ability. It can be used to screen for ADHD and other conditions that affect learning and memory.